The company Águas do Algarve SA has already started work to define an Action Plan for the Reintroduction of the Iberian Lynx in Portugal – 2014, which will involve several entities.
The subject was the subject of a meeting that took place on the 19th, at the National Center for Reproduction of the Iberian Lynx (CNRLI), in the interior of the municipality of Silves, and which included the participation of Marques Ferreira and Isabel Soares, representing the administration from Águas do Algarve, Paula Sarmento, president of the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), Rodrigo Serra, responsible for the CNRLI, Maxime Bispo, deputy mayor of Silves, and João Correia, president of the Parish Council Saint Bartholomew of Messines.
This meeting, considered by Águas do Algarve as «of high importance», had as its main point «the demonstration of the need to define an Action Plan for the reintroduction of the Iberian lynx in Portugal – 2014, with the consequent development of all this region where the center is inserted'.
"The appreciation of this unique center in the country is fundamental, and it is necessary to develop greater proximity and knowledge of the population for the work being developed in this location in the recovery and protection of this species considered to be endangered", stresses that company, which, within the scope of minimization, compensation and overcompensation measures for the construction of the Odelouca Dam, it is responsible for the Lince Center project and for all associated environmental components.
Teresa Fernandes, company spokeswoman, told the Sul Informação that the Plan of Action has already begun to be drawn up and foresees the «realization of a strong investment in the component of communication, education and awareness of the community and other regional, national and international entities».
Of these initiatives, the creation of an Interpretation Center in Silves stands out, where visitors can see live, through an audiovisual system that does not disturb the animals, the felines that are in the CNRLI.
«We believe that Silves will be the ideal place for the implementation of the Interpretation Centre, simply because of the historical symbolism that the council has in the existence of the Iberian lynx, and of course, because the CNRLI is inserted in this same council. We have already identified some places where the Center can be located», he added.
«This was the first preparatory meeting, so that we can start the Action Plan, which will involve all the entities that were present, as in this way it will be possible to leverage the synergies of the group, which will have the same goals, with results more structured», said Teresa Fernandes.
The company Águas do Algarve «is committed to developing this Plan with competence, professionalism and especially with fruitful results for the region and for our country», stressed the spokesperson.
“We are gathering as much information and data as possible so that, soon, the same entities will be reunited with more concrete data”, he revealed.
Lynx protection is a compensation measure because of the Odelouca Dam
The company Águas do Algarve SA is at the origin of the creation of the National Center for the Reproduction of the Iberian Lynx (CNRLI), which is part of a vast program of environmental minimization, compensation and overcompensation measures required by the European Commission due to the construction of the Odelouca Dam .
These measures integrate several components, such as recovery of riverside galleries, study and recovery of avifauna, ichthyofauna and Iberian Lynx, comprising a global investment of around 11 million euros.
According to the company, «the construction of the Odelouca dam it was justified by imperative reasons of public interest linked to the context of regional development and the sustainable management of the public water supply for human consumption».
Today it constitutes a «key part of the Algarve Multi-municipal Water Supply System, whose objective is to supply water for public supply to the Algarve Region, with high standards of quality and guarantee, promoting the quality of life of resident populations and tourists , as well as for the qualification of basic services that are essential for the economic and tourist development of the region».
The importance of the Odelouca Dam justifies the global investment made of more than 76 million euros, adds the company.
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